Suppose that a direction has direction cosines cosα, cosβ, cosγ. Any triple of numbers l, m, n, not all zero, such that l = k cosα, m = k cosβ, n = k cosγ, are called direction ratios of the given direction. Since cos2α + cos2β + cos2γ = 1, it follows that
where either the + sign or the − sign is taken throughout. So any triple of numbers, not all zero, determine two possible sets of direction cosines, corresponding to opposite directions. The triple l, m, n are said to be direction ratios of a straight line when they are direction ratios of either direction of the line.